G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra Snow Serpent review

I might have mentioned how much I love the 1985 lineup of G.I. Joe once or twice? The Joes were awesome, but Cobra had a killer lineup of unique characters and some of the all-time best army builders including the Snow Serpents.

Between my brother and I, we might have had two Snow Serpents so I appreciate greatly being able to army build like a madman with my G.I. Joe Classified Series figures.  And like every other figure, Hasbro’s Classified Series team went all out to update the character for a new generation while retaining the essential elements of the classic figure.

Let’s see if these Cobra polar assault troopers can warm me up or if they need to get buried in a snowbank.

Package:  I really dig the artwork to showcase the figure. This one features the Snow Serpent zooming down the slopes in his snowboard. There’s a tiny Easter Egg if you peep who’s clocking the SS noticeable on the ridge in the distance. That’s such a fun extra touch.

We’ve got the usual rollout of accessories in the right corner featured with the signature white strip. Then there’s a very cool drawing showcasing the geared-up Snow Serpent.

Along the sides we get a larger version of the drawing and the QR Code that just go to a default Hasbro shop page and tiny skill sets.

The back offers a better look at all the accessories and stripped-down view of the Snow Serpent. On the stat front, he ranks a 1 in skydiving and launcher as well as a 2 in environmental specialist: arctic and arctic combat.

Here’s the bio courtesy of Pulse: Snakes usually tend to be cold blooded, but Snow Serpents thrive in polar temperatures as the frontline arctic infantry troopers of the Cobra forces. They can traverse vast icy plains and then vanish in a snow drift remaining still for hours or even days only to emerge with a lethal barrage on their unsuspecting foes.

Likeness: The Classified Series has been a marriage of classic and modern even as the CS team starts to lean a little more towards the vintage style.

With the Snow Serpent, we get a base figure that’s largely the classic figure that can be kitted up to be a modern version. I love the detail work that’s become the norm with this line.

Similar to the Cobra Eel, the Snow Serpent’s base is his Joe counterpart with some unique sculpted elements. Starting from the Snow Job mold, the Snow Serpent has a nice cold weather style bulky attire.

In keeping true to the original design, Hasbro added the furry tufts along the should, collar, forearm and gloves. These elements are very nice sculpted with layers upon layers of fur to help keep the troopers warm.

The parachute rig further helps to “hide” the base mold as well. This time, Hasbro threw in some holsters on either thigh for additional firepower. Hasbro provided some extra detail to the head sculpt. The original had a bulky helmet made even wider by the expanded ear section.

This one is streamlined with the ear portions much smaller. The masked section also sports more detail with the goggles being a separate piece from the mouth and nose guard section. Here’s an instance where I favor the original design as it made the Snow Serpents more faceless Cobra drones with less individuality.

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Paint: Hasbro went with a lighter shade of grey to better blend into the snowy elements.

While it’s probably more realistic, I miss the brighter blue used for the goggles, parachute rig, gloves and boots. They helped to provide a little pop of color. Hasbro’s already announced a retro version is coming for the Snow Serpent so I’m looking forward to the livelier color combinations instead of the more midnight blue.

The fur parts all feature some darker grey/brown to give it a dirtier, more realistic fur visual. Hasbro did impressive work with the silver lining of the goggles and the barely visible flesh tone paint around it. There’s very little slop or overspray.

Snow Serpent’s Cobra logo is cleanly applied and this time there’s a new insignia. This is another bada$$ one featuring a snake coiling around a mountaintop. That’s very cool.

Scale:  The Snow Serpent is about the same height as your standard Joe. This is where adding a bulkier outfit into the mix helps make the figures stand out from each other without having to be taller than everyone else.

Articulation: I’m not gonna stop being geeked out about some of the fun poses I can pull off with the Classified Series line.

This time it was actually hitting snowboard poses with the Snow Serpent. That’s so cool!

While aesthetically, the outfit might seem tougher to get good poses out of, there’s really no limitations on what he’s able to hit. I thought the fur at the forearms might hinder the double-jointed elbows, but enough clearance was given so that wasn’t a concern. That’s smart engineering.

Beyond the snowboard poses, he’s able to strike some nice deep crouches and aiming the bazooka to take out Joe vehicular reinforcements. The pelt is thick, but it doesn’t drastically affect articulation either.

Cobra Snow Serpent has:

• head
• neck
• shoulders (butterfly)
• elbow (double-jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• so
• torso
• waist
• hips (ball-jointed)
• drop down hips
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories: The Snow Serpent is a deluxe figure, which means he needs to have enough accessories to justify the extra price tag. And with 17 accessories, I can safely say that’s enough to warrant the deluxe presentation.

There’s a lot to break down so let’s get to it.

First up is the backpack, bazooka and shells that are repainted from Bazooka. I don’t hate the reuse here since Hasbro changed up enough of the paintwork to make it look different.

I do miss the mortar setup from the original figure though, which will further help sell the idea of also grabbing the Retro version as well.

He’s also got the standard Snow Serpent goggles. In the original look, they just go over the helmet instead of the other goggles that’s a part of the mask plate. They’re midnight blue instead of a brighter blue like the rest of the color accents.

Snow Serpent also gets a knife. It’s small and doesn’t have much detail or a silver blade like most of the Joe/Cobra knives. There’s also no place to put it on his outfit, which is unusual as well.

The original SS had an AK-47 for a main blaster and apparently, I’m partial to that as a weapon. He’s got what seems to be a standard machine gun and the gun that originally came with Tomax and Xamot.

And to go a little retro, he’s got snowshoes. These are a lot more modern than the old school versions and doesn’t have that tennis racket visual like the original.

One of the new accessories is the wolf head and pelt used as a cowl. This is such an outrageous accessory and seems fully on brand for Cobra. There’s some excellent gradient work on the pelt to make it look like actual fur and not a cheap toy.

You won’t be able to have the goggles on with the wolf pelt and cowl, but I actually like that. It ensures that the Wolf Pelt Snow Serpent won’t look like the others. The backpack actually plugs into the hole on the pelt so you can keep that whole King Snow Serpent vibe going.

The final new piece is a snowboard. This is such a fun accessory. The pegs plug into the boots nicely and once they lock in they won’t slip off with a little movement.

As always you can use the included storage locker to hold all his gear.

Worth It?   Here’s the tricky thing. With all these display options and accessories, the value is fair for a $34.99 figure. In this case that price point does make army building a little tougher.

 

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Some of the color choices aren’t as exciting as the original and I miss some of the old weapons, but this is a great update. And I’ll still be stocking up on the Retro version as well.

Where to get it?  Unlike the Eel, the Snow Serpent is available for army building from Amazon and Entertainment Earth. The former actually has him in stock now.

As an Amazon associate and Entertainment Earth, I earn from qualifying purchases.